Feedback: The feds' snooping was wrong, but so is leaking secret info

Jun. 10, 2013

Is Edward Snowden a hero or a traitor? Readers took to the comments section of Freep.com and e-mailed in letters to the editor to weigh in on the man behind last week’s leaks about National Security Agency surveillance on Americans.

If he broke the law, then he should be punished. But nevertheless, I applaud his actions for exposing tyranny. Whether it’s Bush, Obama, or both, tyranny must be stopped.

Matthew Sawyer

This Benedict Arnold should be in Gitmo.

Joe Clark IV

We need more people like this. America is waging war on its own citizens. If I was on the jury, I would vote to acquit.

Lee Liu

He flew to Hong Kong with government secrets. He’s a traitor.

Todd Haight

This man did nothing wrong? He violated his security clearance and leaked national security secrets, which whether you like it or not, are legal and key to the security of this country. He broke the law. Cuff him.

Jahari Davis

It scares the daylights out of me to think that people are actually upset with this guy. Unlike Bradley Manning (who leaked secret documents regarding our military actions overseas), this guy has just informed us that our government is tracking our every movement. Anyone that is OK with this needs to really re-think their opinion regarding the duties of our federal government.

Matthew Garrison

This isn’t the same as selling secrets to China or Russia in my opinion. He’s a whistle-blower of the highest order.

Chris White

You cannot have democracy when the government operates in secrecy. It is that simple. The purpose of our national security is to protect freedom and nourish it — not to erase or diminish it!